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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29872941">Thank you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophia73/pseuds/Sophia73'>Sophia73</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Break Up, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Long-Term Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:08:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,341</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29872941</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophia73/pseuds/Sophia73</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>one must be looking for something if one wants to find it.<br/> Katara was said to be dead, but she lived. And she finds out there was more to what happened and she finds out some of the people she loved the most had the most say.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Thank you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Sorry this fic became very anti Sokka and Hakoda. <br/>I haven't posted in a while, if you have a idea for a good story leave it in the comments</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Katara, teacher to the avatar, southern water bender. You admitted to having used an unknown form of bending to kill master benders, now we will proceed with the punishment. Death” the oldest member of the elder council says. And men circle me as I look around, but then I think through what I could do, and look up. The moon would be gone in two hours, I have less than two minutes to get out of here before I’m killed. I feel the blood of the men and push them away from me with all my strength and throw myself up using water and ice as I run on top of the roofs. I feel the ice under my feet melt and refreeze. I keep trying to think of ways to make sure I don’t fall, then I feel it, the healing huts were right in front of me and I felt inside for blood. Once I’d found enough to pull out, I made myself a clear path of blood, no one else could touch it. I ran, I had one place to get to, the ocean. From there I was safe, I ran and ran. <br/>I see the water and jump head first in and hope that Luna was ready for me. I make an air bubble for me once I’m far down enough that everyone will think I’m dead, and once I open my eyes I see Luna coming for me. Once I’m seated on her back I let her take me to the city. My city. I close my eyes and remember when I first came down here, I had been on my own and walking along the water edge when the ice gave in and I fell, I was able to make an air pocket for myself before it was too late, but the coldness was not something I could deal with then. I forced the water away from my body when I saw something moving. I thought I was dying but then I saw a horse trotting towards me and it bowed down to me and when it looked up it held in it’s mouth a ring that once I took I felt my whole body heat up. I looked at the horse and let the water cover my body, only staying away from my head. I reached towards the horse but it backed away. I went back up and looked back down into the water and saw nothing. I thanked the ocean and left. After that everyday I came back everyday and jumped into the water and everyday I saw the same horse. It took awhile but I was able to tame her and she was always there when I jumped. I named her Luna and let her take me around the ocean every time I could. <br/>I opened my eyes again and I was in my city, it was mine, I made it. And no one other than me and the sea horses knew about it. Luna used to take me to this one place and I met the other horses and after a while I made a small house for me to stay in longer. It then turned into a city that was covered with a bubble of ice so I could breath. Once the war was over I started to spend more time by myself so getting away without anyone seeing was easy, and it was nice to have somewhere to go. Somewhere no one else could find. I later had a dream about the horses, and learned about them. They were made of water, ice or snow, and some are even made of blood, or a mix, and they only ever saved people who showed that they understood water and in a sense were born from the water. It took me a long time to figure out that Luna was made of blood and snow, I never asked anyone on them but I did find a book talking about how the horses were loyal to the one person that fit them, and both rider and stead were a match, and that they don’t pick a rider very often maybe five have ever been known and all five died young. <br/>I bloodbended many people and now would be considered dead, what could I do? I would need to go up for food, but I couldn’t be seen, I would be known as dead, and everyone would think that, where could I go? I feel Luna throw me on her back, we then I guess I’ll find out. When I see where Luna is taking me I’m shocked, the fire nation, I know because of the sea horse that waited for me, the blood one. The only one that could survive here in the summer. I look up and see that land isn’t close, so I take Ember up to the surface even though Luna can do just fine, even in the summer, her being half blood. But Ember knew the fire nation better. She took me right under a small market and I looked at what I was wearing, black. That wouldn’t do, but she took care of it, she let herself merge into my clothes making them look red from the blood, they were wet, and if I wanted them to stay red I couldn’t dry them, but it would have to do. I pulled out some money and went up. <br/>I picked everything I would need for a good month or so. I made sure no one would see me and made sure the food would stay good and jumped into the water, and Ember let go and I jumped on and instead of taking me back to my city, she took me to the beach beside the palace, and I saw Iroh and Zuko. <br/>“She’s gone,” Zuko said. And it hit me, they found out I was ‘dead’. <br/>“She was said to have killed people,” Iroh said. <br/>“They act as if they never killed people” Zuko said, and my heart hurts, Zuko was my best friend, even over Aang and Toph, or Suki or anyone, it was Zuko.<br/>“You know why they needed to kill her, they were afraid of her. Of what she could do if she wanted” Iroh said and I look down at what I have on me and feel the necklace and see Zuko leave but I take the necklace off and send it up.<br/>“Zuko” I hear Iroh say.<br/>“Her-” I know he saw it and I have Ember take me back to my city. It was now going to be my home. </p><p> </p><p>~~~~~~~~~Three years later~~~~~~~~~</p><p> </p><p>	I’ve learned the ways of the ocean, and can find my way to anywhere, but I still always go to one place, one beach. I sometimes at night go on land and sit on the beach and look over what has been my home for the past three years. I’ve spent so much time near there that Ember has shown me an island that no one really ever comes, only one person has ever been here it seems from the only thing here a sack of money. I’ve made myself a small city near the palace, and stay there every once and again. But staying by the north pole was always safer, no one goes swimming, no one ever looks out, or under the water. I go for food only when I have to, and I go to the earth kingdom and hunt my food. <br/>	Ember and Luna were both with me by the beach one night when I came up to the beach and sat down. Luna came beside me and after a while Ember joined us. I covered her in water to hide the bright red of her coat. Ember headed back down and Luna had just slipped into the water, and I was getting up when I heard a voice, one I haven't heard in years.<br/>	“Katara?” <br/>	“Zuko” I say turning around, he was still in his robes, and his hair was still in it;s topknot, but he was taller, shoulders wider, but still very much Zuko. <br/>	“Your- not dead” He’s standing only a feet away from me looking at me. <br/>	“I hope not” I say <br/>	“We were told you fell into the ocean, at the north pole, there is no way you can live through that” <br/>	“Okay, one I didn’t fall, I jumped into the ocean, and two I’m standing right here am I not” Before I know it he’s hugging me and I relax into his arms, how I miss human interactions. Be let go as water falls on us, and I look to see nothing. “LUNA!” I call<br/>	“Who?” Zuko asks. <br/>	“One sec” I say and jump into the water. I look for Luna or Ember, but it seems Ember is long long, but Luna is waiting for me to get on. I jump on her and pull her up. <br/>	“What the heck” Zuko says once I get Luna to stop trying to take me under. <br/>	“This is how I lived,” I say. Luna calms down once I get off her and looks at Zuko for a minute before bowing, and jumping back in. <br/>	“Under water?”<br/>	“Yup, I have to go now before someone else see’s me.” I say turning away from him. <br/>	“You can stay here” He says and I turn back around<br/>	“You know I can’t” I say<br/>	“Why? Everyone thinks you're dead, stay here, no one other than me and who you want to know will know” He says. I look back at the ocean. I can see a small hint of red, Luna’s waiting. I think over it. <br/>	“Fine” I sigh, giving in, and I see more red coming over, Ember, but also a white following, Winter, Ember went to the south to get Winter. “But my horses are coming, meaning I need a private lake, or pond, or wall source.” I say. <br/>	“Then come now and fast” He says, and I call what I thought was three, but turned out to be five of the horses, Luna, Ember, Winter, Aqua, and Clay. They each came out of the water and turned into more horse like forms, and followed. Zuko led me to the back of the palace, and right under a window. “Up there,” he says and I Aqua relaxes around me and I use her to get myself up as I see Zuko using his flames to get up, and the horses each turn to their more water form and let me bend them up here. Once everyone is here they turn to their more horse forms, as Zuko leads us to a room beside his own, that has a door to a garden. The horses each jumped into the pond that was there. <br/>	“Where are we?” I ask. <br/>	“Tomorrow, come,” He says. “These were my mothers, she’s moved now, but you can have them, we can talk in the morning” He says, and leaves. I look around but I let myself fall asleep in the bed in the center of the room. </p><p> </p><p>	I wake up to the feel of snow on the face and see Winter right by the bed. <br/>	“Hey girl” I say and move over to pet her. I got up and saw that Zuko must have put clothes out on the bed for me, and I looked out at the sky, it was almost noon. I change and walk outside to see the four other horses asleep or resting in the water. <br/>	“Good morning, or afternoon I guess” Zuko says. <br/>	“Hey” I say <br/>	“I see they seem to like it.” he says, just as Winter nuzzles me. <br/>	“What do you want Winter?” I ask, and she walks over to the wall and I feel around outside. “Which way is this facing?” I ask Zuko<br/>	“South, at least I think” <br/>	“You want to go home?” I ask and she shakes her head. “Can you wait until night then?” I ask, she nods, and goes to sit by Luna. It was fall here they would be okay for at least another good while. <br/>	“Would you like food?” Zuko asked. <br/>	“Sure, and thank you again Zuko,” I say. <br/>	“We still have to talk, you know” he says smiling as he calls food to his rooms. <br/>	“Who’s here?” I ask once no one is around.<br/>	“Uncle, my mom and some nobles,” He says. “At least for another month, Sokka, and Suki will be here for a week for the winter festival, and Toph and Aang visit two weeks after. If you don’t want them to know your here I wont tell them” <br/>	“For now you can tell your mom, and Iroh. I’m not sure how long I’ll be here anyways, if I’m still here when my broth comes I’ll see then” I say. <br/>	“Now what the hell happened?” He asks.<br/>	“I know Iroh knows, but does your mom?” I ask<br/>	“She does” <br/>	“Call them, I might as well tell all of you” I say, looking back to where the horses are. <br/>	“They can come in, if you want,” he says as he goes to call his mom and Iroh. I looked back and called Luna over, but seemed like Ember wanted over just as much. <br/>Luna and Ember were in their more horse-like form and sitting beside me as Lady Ursa and Iroh walked in. <br/>	“Lady Katara,” Iroh said, walking over for a hug. He hasn’t changed at all. <br/>	“Hello Iroh.” I say. <br/>	“Katara this is my mom Ursa, mom this is Katara” Zuko said. Ursa was beautiful, and so much like Zuko. We bowed and sat down. <br/>	“Lady Katara who, or what are these you have with you?” Iroh asked. <br/>	“This is my horse Luna, and this is Ember, I have more. Their not really mine, more like I’m theirs, but their how I survived my ‘fall’” I say as Ember looked up at Ursa. <br/>	“We were told fall but you seem to say otherwise” Ursa says looking at Ember.<br/>	“I jumped into the ocean” I say. And Iroh and Ursa’s eyes both go wide. “Okay, I’ll start from the beginning. After the war I stayed in the north for a while, but one day the ice under me cracked and I couldn’t control or get a good hold on it and fell. I was able to make a bubble for me to breathe, and to keep myself away from the water, but the ocean was stronger. I saw something in the and thought I was dying, but then Luna came and gave me this ring. The ring keeps my body warm while I’m in colder waters, and seems to keep me cool in hotter waters. I kept going back and driving in when I could to find her, and once I tamed her and learned more about the sea horses, she showed me the others. There are horses made of water, blood, and snow, and some that are a mix, but each area has one. I ended up spending so much time down there that I had time to make a city over by the north, I knew I was safe there. Safer then I was at the north pole, up there they hated me, even before I killed people. They feared my power, and what I could do, thought men were the stronger ones, and when I showed up and almost beat a master, as an inexperienced girl during the war they feared me, and when they saw me grow they only feared me more. I was attacked almost every new moon, or even at training, they would always try to get rid of me, and one day at training I couldn’t hold them off with water anymore and gave into bloodbending them. I knew how, Luna is half snow and half blood, I thought that if I could lead and tame Luna I could control blood, well turns out taming a horse made of blood and snow is a lot harder then bloodbending, and I didn’t know how much power it took to hold someone off, so I killed them. 20 men all dead in a second, no one knew what happened, but they knew it was me, later that night I had another five try to kill me, they got close, they hit my arm, but Ember came, and saved me, I don’t know why she was at the north, but it saved me and I healed myself right before I was pinned and was to be killed. I had to run and at the time, I only really wrote to people, no one ever visited and my dad and Sokka told me that I needed to stay there and couldn’t leave, so the only safe place I could think of in the moment was the ocean, and the horses. I had been alone there, and so no one ever really cared about where I was or what I was doing, so I was alone, but the horses were always there, always ready to take me somewhere, show me some place, or a memory. So I went there, even though I could have created an ice path for me to get to the air temple, or jumped in a boat, they knew I was a trained sailor and most couldn’t out sail me with my waterbending. But I didn’t do any of those, I was alone and thought of one thing, not being alone, and that was the ocean. I knew I would be labeled as dead, so I dealt with it and hunted in the earth kingdom and lived in my city. That was until Zuko found me” <br/>	“You never told them about the bloodbending?” Zuko asked<br/>	“When I first got there after the war with Aang and Sokka they told everyone about a ‘unknown’ form of waterbending that should someone come claiming to know, they were to send for Aang at once, if someone used if there they were to kill them, if needed, AKA if they thought Aang couldn’t get there fast enough.” I say <br/>	“Lady Katara I hope you know that you were never alone” Iroh said<br/>	“Well when you spend a year and a half at the north pole alone, and always being told that ‘you have to be there,’ ‘we need the north’ ‘you can’t leave, it’s too important’ and never once having someone visit, or even invite you to anything, and I know for sure that they knew that as a girl I would have it harder there then Sokka would have. Yet never once did anyone ever do anything. You think I didn’t know that? I did but it really didn’t feel like it. Even Yue only talked to me once” I say<br/> 	“You could have asked,” Zuko said. <br/>	“Luna, can you get Aqua to pick up my bag. It’s by the beach” I say as she gets up and goes to Aqua. “You think I didn’t try” I see Ember still looking at Ursa. <br/>	“So you thought, what, you would have the rest of your life underwater?” Ursa asked<br/>	“I thought about going to see my brother, or even Toph, or come here, each time I could think of 20 more reasons I shouldn’t, over that I should and never went back.” I say I feel Aqua coming back, she turns to a form where I can take the bag from her. “You can pet them if you want” I say as I go through the piles of letters I have. Ursa moved over to Ember as the horse bowed, and Luna and Aqua did the same for Iroh and Zuko. I hand Zuko the letters from Aang, Sokka, my dad, and Pakku. <br/>	“You never asked me” He said<br/>	“And say I did, and you let me leave. I leave and Sokka or my dad finds out, what do you think will happen? It wouldn’t have helped, and it’s not like you could visit. The only one that maybe could have was Toph, and she would’ve been 100% blind there, and I feel the north would hate her as much as they hate me.” <br/>	“I could’ve made up some reason for you to leave,” Zuko says.<br/>	“There's nothing. Read over the one I wrote to my brother. I wasn’t allowed to be the ambassador, I wasn’t old enough to be considered a proper healer, and asking for me to come because someone misses me, they could say that you had other people, and that I had nothing to offer, unless my dad or brother came and said I was done, or that someone was taking over. Or I guess if Aang came over and said it was for some random avatar thing then I could leave, Sokka told me who was part of the agreement, only the south and north tribes, no one from the earth or fire nation was part of it. If I thought it could have worked I would have tied. You can ask Suki just how many ideas I had and how badly I wanted out”<br/>	“Why did you even end up there?” Ursa asked<br/>	“My dad said something about making the north and south stronger, I think having me marry someone was offered, as Suki said she pointed out how I would kill anyone who I knew was part of that idea, and she didn’t want me killing all of the southern tribe, I don’t know” <br/>	“If anyone would do that it would be you” Iroh laughed. <br/>	“Will you be staying?” Ursa asked.<br/>	“Not for long I don’t think so. Only Ember can live here in the summer, and Winter will need to get back to the south, and Aqua needs to go back to the north, and for sure Clay has to get back to the swamp.”<br/>	“But you don’t have to go,” Zuko says. <br/>	“I can’t stay here, you have a kingdom to rule, and me being here when other people are here would risk my chances of being found” <br/>	“Wouldn’t you want to be found? When we were told you had died, everyone was devastated.” Iroh said. <br/>	“It’s clear that if my brother or father really cared for me over the tribe that claim would have never gone out” I say<br/>	“What about Toph, Aang and Suki? You missed her and Sokka’s wedding,” Zuko says.<br/>	“It doesn't matter, if someone finds out I’m here in the fire nation then your who nation is going to be at another war.” I say and Luna keeps bumping me. “What girl?” I ask. And she pushes me to Clay and Winter. And Winter looks as if she’s about to pass out, and Clay seems to be melting into the pond. “I need to go, Ember,” I say. I let Aqua, Luna, Winter and Clay all melt into bendable forms as I bring them to the water making sure they stay alive. I know Zuko, Iroh and Ursa will be waiting on the beach when I get down. Ember also seems to be weaker. It’s fall, why are they like this? I see Ursa and Zuko by the beach, but Iroh isn’t there. I jump off Ember into the water and let Ember stay, I swim out over the island Ember showed me and let Luna stay there, I left Ember bring me out far enough that Aqua, Clay and Winter would be okay and let Luna follow us back. I force Luna to go with Ember to her hideout, as I swim back to the beach. <br/>	“What happened?” Ursa asked as I pulled the water from myself. <br/>	“Only Ember should be here, she’s blood, the only thing that can stay here without getting hurt. If only I knew why Luna couldn’t be here even as she’s half blood. I feel Winter was worst, she came to me this morning and I told her to wait” <br/>	“It’s fall here, it’s not at its hottest” Zuko points out<br/>	“If you are meant to be at the poles do you really think you can be here? Clay is meant for the swamp, he’s not used to the clear water, and the dryness of it here, Luna well… I don’t know.”<br/>	“If you don’t want to be seen I would say we should go back in now, and Zuko has a meeting to be at” Iroh says walking over. <br/>	“Let's go,” I say. Zuko and Ursa head to the meeting rooms, and Iroh takes me back to the garden. <br/>	“Can you tell me how many different horses they are?” Iroh asked.<br/>	“Luna; snow and blood, not sure where she would be. Winter; snow and stays in the south. Aqua; snow, stays in the north. Clay; water stays in the swamp. Pearl; snow and water, stays around the earth kingdom. Kai; Blood and water, he stays more to the islands of the fire nation. Neptune, Diamond, Wade, Delta; water, stay near the air temples. Last it’s Ember; blood, and stays in the fire nation” I say <br/>	“That’s a lot,” he says.<br/>	“There are said to be more” I say<br/>	“You said you met them by falling into the water, but how did you find out so much about them?” He asked<br/>	“Dreams, after I’d tamed Luna I was given dreams about them, that’s how I found out their names.” <br/>	“So there must have been some before you” <br/>	“Yes, five known of, but they all died young,”<br/>	“Hmmm, you know we’ve found some more dragons,” <br/>	“Really?” I ask<br/>	“I wonder if the water horses and the dragons happen to be connected, you know of the same amount of horses as we do dragons. Dragons have always been the fire nation's animal of choice, and were very well known, unlike the horses, but that seems to line up with how the elements are opposites” Iroh explains. I think about it for a minute. <br/>	“When did you find these dragons?” I ask<br/>	“Only about four years ago,” Iroh said. I was still considered alive then, why didn’t anyone tell me? <br/>	“That would be a little after I found Luna. The horse choose only the strongest benders to help” <br/>	“The dragons were only rode and owned by the fire nation's most powerful” Iroh said <br/>	“What happened while I was gone?” I ask “Start from once I left for the north” <br/>	“Well, Zuko took the throne, and started trying to find his mother, you know he will jump into things before thinking. He moved Azula to a healing place in the south, even though I told him the north would be better. She was later put into a coma while they tried to figure out how to heal her. Aang told us to meet him by the western air temple and when we got there we saw three dragons. You were said to have died, there was a furnal in every nation, with a smaller more personal one being held at the southern air temple. Zuko went to find his mother, as I took over once the rebellions were stopped. Now your friends visit from time to time, and everyone gets together in the summer on Ember Island.” Iroh said. I know he skipped over lots of parts but I didn’t really care, as everything he told me other than Zuko finding Ursa I didn’t know anything. I sat there thinking over how everything fell apart so fast, how she stood by Zuko talking down Azula and yet she was never told of anything, and why? She wished she knew. <br/>	“I wasn’t told of anything” I murmured as I looked out to the water where I lived and where I knew everything that happened, that felt like mine. To the horses that were always ready for me, who gave me the freedom I craved, let me feel my power and test it. Then I looked over the room that once were Ursa’s and I was staying in, and how different the two places were. “Could I have a minute?” I asked<br/>	“Of course my dear, but remember that one must be looking for something if one wants to find it” Iroh said and walked out. I sat there thinking over everything, and reading over all the letters I was sent, and looking at all the seals. Each person had their own seal, Toph used the BeiFong seal for the few letters she sent, Aang made his own four nation seal, Zuko used the fire nation seal, Suki used a custom seal, Sokka used a water tribe seal mixed with a earth kingdom seal, and dad used a water tribe seal. <br/>	I was rereading all the letters again when Zuko came back in, holding a plate of food.<br/>	“Hey, you good?” He asked<br/>	“Fine, just thinking about everything” I say<br/>	“You missed a lot,” He said.<br/>	“I might go back soon” <br/>	“To the ocean? There’s no way you can really be living there” Zuko said. <br/>	“If you don’t mind getting a bit wet I can show you” I say, he raises a brow <br/>	“Let's go then, but you can stay here, it’s no issue” He said<br/>	“Three years and you get used to it, if anything I got used to the ocean when I first fell in,” I say and we head to the beach. I bend the water to let us walk on the ocean floor as Ember and Luna walk beside us. “You know how to ride?” I ask.<br/>	“Land horses yes, them? Not so much” he says.<br/>	“It’s the same, Ember won’t hurt you jump on” I say climbing onto Luna and watching Ember bow for Zuko. I formed an air bubble for him as I let Luna take me to the smaller city in the fire nation. Once we’re there I part the ice and let us in. “It’s not as big as the one in the north where I tend to stay,” <br/>	“You made this?” he asked looking around<br/>	“I had three years alone I needed to do something, we should get back soon,” <br/>	“If only I had that much time to myself” Zuko said as we walked back<br/>	“Having a hard time?” I ask once we’re on the beach<br/>	“They want me to have an heir, or marry, saying that there needs to be someone to take the throne if something happens to me, and that most fire lords are married within two years after taking the throne. Not to mention the mess of needs people need, saying how they want a new schooling system, and a more pay, and people now don’t have jobs, even this long after the war I still can’t deal with it.” <br/>	“I could help” I offer without thinking<br/>	“You don’t have to,” He says as we get back into the room. <br/>	“I was ‘dead’ for three years, I might as well try to make up for it” I say. “I know more about politics than you think” I add<br/>	“That's-” Zuko starts but then says, “Okay fine, come to my room I’ll show you everything that needs to get done and if you still want to help you can” We walk over to his room and by the desk is a sheet of paper with everything that needs to be done. I look it over and think about everything and think about the layout of the fire nation. <br/>	“You need a new schooling system, write down the main points you want the kids to learn, that’ll be a start. You have people needing jobs, because they were used to fighting and building things for the war, we'll have those builders make things that’ll help people now, like how to travel from one nation to the other. The others you can have trained as guards, I know just by being here and feeling around that there are few guards. I can’t think of anything for the higher pay, but if you can, you could always take from the nobles.” I say looking over the list. <br/>	“How did-” He starts<br/>	“Before at the north they tried to keep me out of this stuff, but then I just started forcing my way into finding out more about it, and having a lot of time alone after a war and hearing people talk about everything going wrong, I’ve thought of a lot of ways to make them right that I’ve never been able to tell” <br/>	“Stay please, and help” Zuko ask “you don’t have to, but I could use it” <br/>	“My place is the water, always has been. But if you need help with something go to the beach and call for me, I’ll come, as long as no one else is there” I say <br/>	“Could you come back when Sokka and Suki come?” He asks “that’s only nine days away” <br/>	“It’s a full moon right?” <br/>	“Yes? But what does that have to deal with it?” <br/>	“I’ll see you after the party, and see” I say. I love Sokka but he was part of the reason I couldn’t ever leave the north. I walk back out and jump down onto Luna who was waiting and ride back into the water. I’ll be waiting. </p><p> </p><p>	“No I’m not ready, not yet” I say once I step out of the water. <br/>	“Why?” Zuko asked, “They’re your family” <br/>	“Sokka can’t keep a secret and if he knows the south finds out and once they find out the north will too, and… no not yet” <br/>	“With that reasoning you’ll never tell them” Zuko points out<br/>	“Once I have the strength to deal with the north again I will” <br/>	“When have you ever lacked the strength?” Zuko asked and I smile at him.<br/>	“Faking it is easier, I’ll tell Toph, she can know, but not Aang” I say<br/>	“You can stay” He offers<br/>	“You act as if I could sleep tonight” Isay looking up at the sky<br/>	“That’s not it, but I have some things I need you to go over” He says<br/>	“Fine” I say and we go back to his room, just by walking around the palace I can tell there are more people there. I sit at his desk as he gets ready to relax for the night, and go over the plans for the schools. Once I was done, I looked out to see that the sun would be coming up soon. So I clean up his desk and see a note. ~~Your sister is still in a coma, and we don’t think we can wake her up for at least another few years. The healers here don’t know how to help her~~ I think of the princess and everything that had happened to her. Maybe I could help. I write Zuko a note and leave before someone can see me.</p><p> </p><p>	“You really think you can help her?” He asks<br/>	“She was alone, and right now in a coma, she only has herself, that can’t be any good, I can’t say for sure I could fix her, but I could try. I was alone for so long with only myself, I might be able to reach her” I say. It was me, Zuko, Iroh and Ursa sitting in the dining room, alone.	<br/>	“Bring her home Zuko, Katara is right, being alone like she is now is only going to hurt her more” Ursa said<br/>	“But why did you send her away to begin with? You of all people should know that being with family who care is a better way to heal then running away” I say<br/>	“Your dad offered to have her healed, and he made it public, I had to say yes” Zuko said<br/>	“What made him think he had trained mind healers there?” I asked “Mind healing has to be done with the help of the spirits, so unless he has spirits or Aang learned to heal in the Avatar state, he shouldn’t have tried.” I say to myself more than to anyone else. <br/>	“How do you know?” Ursa asked<br/>	“My second year at the north on the full moon I was pulled to see the spirits there, and saw Yue, I was alone and being alone with people you want to kill and actively try to kill or hurt you make your thoughts go on their own path, Yue showed me how to keep myself from falling to far in, every full moon after I went to keep myself sane. After I jumped I couldn’t go back, but I learned a very similar way to do it with blood and water.” I say<br/>	“Would that be enough?” Zuko asked<br/>	“It would be better then what the south is doing,” Iroh pointed out. <br/>	“She’ll be here in two weeks then” Zuko said. </p><p> </p><p>	Every night I would go up to see Azula and sit with her and wait for her to do something, I would sometimes use the tricks I’ve learned over the time alone, and by the end of week two she was walking around and talking to me. I didn’t see anyone else but Azula said Iroh would visit from time to time. I was heading up one day when I felt people near, so I stayed on Luna and waited under the water. I never ended up telling anyone other than Azula, Zuko, Ursa and Iroh, Toph was always with Aang and I couldn’t leave anything for her without him seeing. So I left it alone, but I looked up and saw Aang, Suki, Toph and Sokka all walking on the beach, and saw Zuko coming over to them with Iroh and Ursa. I was about to leave when I heard Iroh say something. <br/>	“She’s asking for her,” He said to Zuko. I knew who he was talking about, Azula was asking for me. <br/>	“Who?” Suki asked<br/>	“Azula I’m guessing,” Toph said.<br/>	“She’s going to kill me” I heard Zuko say. But I didn’t even wait. I tried to pull Luna up, but she wouldn’t take me. I knew that jumping off wouldn’t do me much good, as she could beat me back down under the water. I felt around to see if other people were with them, and then I felt someone. A man, older, familiar. Dad. And I let go of the ice rains I made and fell into the water. Deep into the water. When I woke up I wasn’t under water, but on a beach, the beach that Ember had shown me and it was night, and I wasn’t alone. There was someone else there, and I sat up and looked around, but saw no one, but when I tried to get up a voice stopped me. <br/>	“Don’t run,” Yue said and I turned to see the moon spirit hovering above the water.<br/>	“What?” I asked<br/>	“Stop running away from them, their your family, your friends,” Yue said<br/>	“Aang, Sokka and my dad made me stay in the north, Suki never tried to help me, and Toph never said anything, even though I told them over and over how badly I wanted off.” I say<br/>	“Go to them and have them explain, they each had their reasons” Yue said.<br/>	“No, they didn’t listen to me I don’t want to listen to them” I say<br/>	“Then the cycle of war and anger will forever remain” she says<br/>	“War and anger can’t ever be gone,” I say, there won’t ever be peace without war, just like there can’t be heat without cold. <br/>	“It’s up to you, but Azula has been asking about you” Yue says as she fades back into the night. I look around and jump back into the water and find Luna and have her take me to where Azula is staying. I get myself in, but Azula is not alone, Iroh and Ursa are with her. <br/>	“Tara, where were you?” Azula demands as I walk over. Over the time I spent with her we’ve moved on from the anger and violence between us, we may never be best friends, or we may never be able to 100% forget what happened and how we met and the fights we’ve had but we can move on for now. We can both be the bigger person and not mention it and start over. <br/>	“I’ve been… alone, hiding” I say<br/>	“And here I thought we had agreed that neither of us would be alone again” She said. I like Azula in a way I never thought I would, she’s mad and has a darker world view then most of the people Katara grew up with, but Katara and Azula shared so much in common. <br/>	“We’ll leave you girls alone” Ursa said as she and Iroh walked out. <br/>	“Maybe I’m not as healed as I think” I sigh sitting down. <br/>	“I think your more healed then you think” She says “Your just scared, stop being scared,” <br/>	“Thanks for pointing out something I already knew.” I roll my eyes, as if I didn’t already know that.<br/>	“What’s scarring you?” She asks. This shocks me, even if Azula and I were on better terms she never really was one to open up like this, she was doing what I did when I first met her two weeks ago. Asking her what she was afraid of. <br/>	“My dad, Aang, Toph, Suki, Sokka,” I say<br/>	“Send them to me and I’ll ‘talk’ some sense into them,” She offers, lighting a blue flame on her hand. <br/>	“That’s not it,” <br/>	“I know, Zuzu told me. But really, you, master bloodbender, are scared of those people. We started off poorly, I know, but I will say on the day of the comet, when I saw you standing with Zuzu like you belonged, even in the state I was in, I saw that you weren’t scared of me. Me, even my best friends, Mai and Ty Lee were scared of me, and yet you. Someone who before that day had seen what I was able to do, and didn’t know how far I had fallen, and didn’t know just how mean I was, you didn’t flinch, and was ready to fight me head on, even when I had the comet, why are you scared of them. Why did you listen to them?” She said. <br/>	“Zula… I don’t know” I admit. Azula kept her boldness, and her taste for blood, and she still was as deadly as ever and I knew not to think any other way, but Azula has softened, she’s opened up. Katara didn’t know why but she and Azula got along well, they both were headstrong and had opinions, and they both had a taste for blood left from the war, they also both liked to kill to release their anger, but only now did I see how much Azula and I truly know and respect each other. “I guess I’m going to beat someone up today, and you should leave sometime this week…” I say letting her finish the rest.<br/>	“Yes, come on” She says as we walk out. We headed to the palace and this time I didn't bother trying to hide myself, I was walking with the princess of the fire nation, the one that people thought was still in the south. The one said to still be crazy, the one that people still feared. The guards blocked our way into the palace, but Azula yelled at the palace, to get her brother now or she was going to kill his new guards. It didn’t take long before Zuko was running out. With others behind him. <br/>	“Azula, your not-” he was saying before he saw me standing beside Azula. <br/>	“I let her out” I say<br/>	“Katara?!” Toph calls. I don’t have to see the other behind Zuko to know that they are just as shocked. <br/>	“You-- they said you were-” Suki said<br/>	“Dead? Well I don’t die that easily” I say. I feel Azula lean over to me. <br/>	“Your dad isn’t very happy, and neither is your brother” She says into my ear.<br/>	“How can you tell?” I ask back<br/>	“They tensed when they saw you, and I know people,” She says. <br/>	“Your Majesty, your sister, she can’t be let into the palace, and if that girl brought her here-” the guard was caught off by water hitting him in the face. I looked down to make sure I didn’t do it, and I didn’t. <br/>	“She attacked the-” The other guard was cut off by what seemed like, blood? Luna. I looked to the beach and saw Luna and Ember standing on the beach. I ran over and knew the guards were chasing me. I didn’t care and jumped onto Luna and put up an ice wall. <br/>	“Katara” Iroh said. I moved the ice wall back into the ocean and got off Luna once I heard Zuko tell the guards to lower their weapons. <br/>	“You should be dead,” Sokka says, and everyone turns to look at him. “You fell into the ocean at the north pole”<br/>	“I didn’t fall, I jumped” I say<br/>	“Why the hell did you jump!” Suki asks<br/>	“Do you really not know why? Why I was sentenced to death? Did you not read any of the letters I sent?” I ask. Ember backed into the water, waiting to run. <br/>	“I didn’t think what you said was true, I was told that you were fine, and that you were fighting the sexist ways of the north” Suki said.<br/>	“Well I guess if everyone was told lies, I’ll just go back to being dead” I say as I lead Luna back to the water. 	<br/>	“I’m going with you,” Azula said. Before I could say no, she was pushing her way past the guards. I looked at Zuko, Iroh and Ursa who I told my story to, and nodded to Zuko and had Luna take Azula as I jumped into the ocean. Once Azula and I were sitting on the island away from everyone. <br/>	“You really think they tried to kill me?” I asked<br/>	“Do you really think that killing people who tried to kill you first would mean death for you?” She asked<br/>      “They hated me for so long I just thought that they didn’t want to risk me killing more or breaking out.” I say “You should go back soon, the north is sure to hear that I am alive, and that Zuko was hiding me.” <br/>      “It’s not my kingdom” she says<br/>      “Your family is there,” I say<br/>      “And so is yours” She counters. “You think that I should be allowed to go back alone and kill the men who come for you. And do that without someone who can stop me, and we both know Zuzu won’t be able to stop me,” She says<br/>      “Aang will be there” I say<br/>      “You were the one to bring me back, even after the things I did” She says and I give up, She jumps on Ember and I on Luna, and this time we run on top of the water. I see ships on their way here by the time we’re there. It’s been a while since we left, but that meant someone as soon as they saw me must have gone to write. And one person wasn’t there on the beach, dad. My heart hurt, and I cursed Yue, she said everything was going to be fine, that they had a reason. Yet there we go, my own father wants to kill me, maybe he’s not too different from Ozai. </p><p> </p><p>      “Leave me alone” I yell as I’m being shot at. I was on a dock and the waterbenders were giving me one heck of a fight, as Azula went to get everyone. I heard voices and I pushed them off the docks to give myself time to feel their blood.<br/>      “Katara stop” I heard Aang yell. <br/>      “Kill her” One of the men said, from the water as they got themselves back up. Unlike them who pulled water to attack with a used the fact that one of them had cut me to pull my own blood and made shields as they tried to break it. <br/>      “Stop!” Aang yelled and knocked everyone down. I stood up and jumped back into the water and rode back to the north to cool down. I wasn’t going to deal with that right now. Once I was sure that it was night did I head back to the palace and snuck into the garden to find Zuko and Azula talking.<br/>      “I’ll be going” Azula said and walked off, I walked over to Zuko. <br/>      “Sorry” I say<br/>      “You need better control” he says simply<br/>      “I know” I say bending water from the pond. “What happened?”<br/>      “The north are thinking about breaking a few truces” he says<br/>      “Now you know why I didn’t want anyone to know I was alive?” <br/>      “You were the one to show yourself” he counters<br/>      “Tell them not to, and that I drowned myself, it’ll save you the work. Or you can have Azula kill me, I’ll let her, and only her” <br/>      “Not going to happen,” he says<br/>      “Why are they even here?” I ask<br/>      “A meeting or something. Someone told the north, there's no other way they could have found out.”<br/>      “My dad did” I say<br/>      “He wouldn’t” <br/>      “Then why didn’t I see him down at the beach, Azula said that both my brother and my dad didn’t seem happy to see me” <br/>      “She lies” <br/>      “Why would she this time? I was the one that helped her, she said so herself. We might not be close, but we talk a lot and right now she might be the only one to understand” <br/>      “You think I don’t?” <br/>      “If you do your not acting like it,” I say as I turn back.<br/>      “No, don’t go, I’m sorry. I told them what you told me. No one believes me, I don’t have the time right now to try to find a way to help you, my council is trying to find me a wife, I’m busy enough trying to stop them.” <br/>      “Just tell the north that I’m dead”<br/>      “They’ll want proof” <br/>      “Then let Azula kill me.” <br/>      “No” <br/>      “Why? It’s not like it’ll make a difference for the fire nation if I’m dead or alive, if anything me being dead would mean that you wouldn’t go to another war.” <br/>      “Suki and Toph didn’t think what you wrote was true, and everytime Aang was about to help something seemed to come up,” <br/>      “I telling you my dad or my brother” <br/>      “Your brother wouldn’t, and your dad loves you,” <br/>      “Then why did they keep me in the north? Why didn’t they listen to me? Why didn’t they ever visit, or tell me about things that were happening, they never asked me how I was, never.” <br/>      “You can ask them yourself,” Toph said, standing by the door. <br/>      “They didn’t listen then, why would they listen now?” I ask<br/>      “Then have his mother tell you, she asked,” Toph says. “I missed you Sugarqueen, I’m sorry about before.” she said before leaving.<br/>      “Zuko-” I start<br/>      “I’ll call her, wait here” He says. As he walks out. <br/>      “Thank you” I say to him when he gets back. <br/>      “I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asks<br/>      “Unless I’m killed tonight” <br/>      “You won't,” he says, smiling at me before leaving.<br/>      “I’m sorry that I can’t ask them myself,” I say to Ursa. <br/>      “No, I understand, it’s okay. You should sit to hear this, and tell me when it’s too much.” She says. I sit down on the bed. “The south wanted you to be the ambassador not Sokka, they kept asking for you. Saying that you know more people and are a better example of what the south stands for, that got to the point that people wanted you to become chief and not your brother. They wanted something new, but your dad didn’t think you could handle it, so he kept you at the north, knowing and hoping that you would return, but you would be changed. You would know your place, and wouldn’t be as outspoken. He kept you there to make sure Sokka could stay ambassador and next in line. After it seemed that you weren’t going to change they gave up and let the north have full control, and that meant that they could kill you if they pleased, you were no longer under the protection of the south, or the Avatar. They made sure to make everyone else think that you were changing them, or loved it there and didn’t want to come back. I think that they could have even set up the events and called for Aang when they found out he was going to help you” Ursa said<br/>      “They-” I couldn’t form words. “Could you go?” I ask, and she nods and leaves. I was mad and confused, they didn’t want me to become chief, so they would have let me die. Why do they still want me dead? Because if I was alive it would show how much stronger I am then any other bender and non bender. I was so in my head that I didn't even feel Zuko come in. And when I saw a flame I almost kicked him. <br/>      “You okay?” he asks.<br/>      “Did you find out?” I ask about pulling water from outside.<br/>      “Suki told me,” <br/>      “They act as if I would be any good at being chief” I say<br/>      “You would be” Zuko says “You're great at dealing with the issues that a chief would, and you would have the tribe's wants in mind, you also do know a lot of powerful people. I also think they want you to be chief because your a bender, and they need people to teach them the southern style of water bending” He adds <br/>      “They would kill me” <br/>      “You won’t die”<br/>      “How do you know?”<br/>      “You didn’t die when you beat Azula, you didn’t lose your mind when you were in the north, you survived every time they tried to kill you, heck you even kept your head on when the world was at war, you never once lost.”<br/>      “I lost at the north when we started the trip”<br/>      “But you also won, you left with what you came for. But also neither me or Azula will let you die, not while you're here in the fire nation.” <br/>      “Why? Your risking going to war with both water tribes” <br/>      “You saved Azula, she says she owes you, she also has found an equal in power and you both share a lot in common.”<br/>      “What about you?”<br/>      “If you had reached out earlier I would have offered the same. You were the one to help me get the throne, you were the one that showed me forgiveness before anyone else did, you were the one person who shouldn’t have accepted me, yet you did. You gave up so much, and then lost so much more, and you might be one of the only one who hasn’t gotten used to a more pampered life” He says. “I’m also closest to you out of everyone, even uncle.” <br/>      “Your risking a lot” I say<br/>      “I’ve risked more.” before I could say anything else he says, “don’t fight with me on this one, please. Let me help you,” He says walking closer to me<br/>      “Sure” I give in. “Thank you” I say and stand up to go and hug him.</p><p> </p><p>      Zuko cancels the big gathering and sends everyone home, as this way less people can get to me. I spend most of my days with Azula, or talking with Ursa. I go to the beach every night, most nights are with Zuko and his mother, as Ember seemed to have taken a liking to her. Azula has fully healed. I still like to visit my underwater cities. I’ve been getting letters from Suki who has left Sokka and was staying at Kyoshi, with Mai and Ty Lee who had taken over for her after she was married. I don’t write back. <br/>       I know soon that the water tribes will try to kill me, but I talk to Iroh about going back. No matter how much I love it here, now that everyone knows I’m alive I want to go back. I want to tell them I would do a horrible job at being chief, and how Sokka should be chief. But I know that it can’t be that simple, and even if it was easy the north wouldn’t give up. <br/>One day I’m sitting on -what’s become- my bed and drawing when Zuko rushes in. <br/>      “Sorry” He says. I get up and head outside. <br/>      “If you see the firelord tell him there's a young lady here to meet him” one of the councilmen says. I look to see guards coming out of Zuko’s rooms and shaking their heads. Once their gone I go back in my room and sit back on the bed and go back to drawing<br/>      “Are you running from them again?” I ask<br/>      “Sorry, I don’t need them trying to set me up on a date right now” He says. “Aang’s letter came and he’s going to be at the north by the next full moon, and-” <br/>      “Relax, I don’t mind. But why do you keep turning them down, Azula has told me that their nice girls, and pretty, and for Azula to say that it’s saying a lot” <br/>      “I don’t know any of them, and Azula is right they are nice, too nice” he says <br/>      “Well you know you have to find someone” I say. “Even Azula is trying things out.”<br/>      “She on what her tenth?” <br/>      “Ninth. But she’s Azula. Doesn’t your uncle help you keep them off?” I ask<br/>      “He’s worse. He- well he keep bring more girls” he says lying down on the bed<br/>      “How is he not out of girls yet?”<br/>      “Who knows” <br/>      “Have you asked your mom for help? She might be better at picking girls then your uncle, or maybe ask Azula, she has quite the taste”<br/>      “Anyone but my sister. I’ve asked my mother she keeps saying that my uncle has bought in almost every type of girl out there”<br/>      “Then what do you want? Have you told them what you want? If you don’t like anyone they're bringing then either you're looking in the wrong place, or your standards are way too high” I say and he sighs.<br/>	“What are you drawing?” He asks, looking over my arm. “It’s really pretty”<br/>	“I don’t know, this just came to me.” I say “you should go out, might as well tell her sooner that you don’t like her”<br/>	“Fine, I’ll see you at night” he says sneaking out.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Aang was able to get the north to give up on killing me, so now all that’s left is getting my dad and brother to stop trying to kill me. <br/>	“Okay I get it, I need to find someone,” He almost yells. We were at dinner and me and Ursa were talking and Iroh was talking with Zuko and Azula was talking with her boyfriend. <br/>	“Not this again” Azula complains. <br/>	“Your 21 and need a heir” Iroh says “There has to be someone out there you like,”<br/>	“Lady Katara, Lady Suki is here,” A maid says<br/>	“I’ll be out there in a minute,” I say. I go out to meet Suki, and we head back to the dinning hall. The dinner went on perfectly until we got a note for Suki that the south was on Kyoshi and had already killed a few of the warriors. <br/> 	“I have to go” She says<br/>	“I’m going with you, I’m ending this” I say. “Ember will take you above water.” I say<br/>	“Zuko and I are coming,” Azula says. <br/>	“Fine, let's go” I say. I jump on Luna and dive down to find Ember, and find both her and Winter, and Clay. I get on Winter, and let Zuko have Luna, Azula went on Clay and Suki on Ember. “I’m going to the south, you three can go to Kyoshi” <br/>	“I’ll go with you” Zuko said, and before anyone could say anything Iroh and Ursa yelled at us to get moving. So Azula and Suki went to Kyoshi and me and Zuko went to the pole. It was faster to move underwater for the horses so I bent the water around us to let us breath as we rode, but I wore out fast and had to go up. It was too hard to bend two different air pockets, going at two different speeds. Luna was faster so I ended up sitting in front of Zuko and just bent one air pocket and let Winter ride at her own pace.<br/>	We got there and jumped up onto the ice, and were greeted with lots of ice shot at us. Zuko melted them away. I look up, it was going to be a new moon tomorrow, but today bending was going to be hard and painful. I sigh and push away everyone. Zuko walks right behind me as we make our way to the elders. Once they see who I am they move on their own, and let me and Zuko pass. I see my dad and Sokka standing in the center of all the tents. <br/>	“Why are you here?” Dad asked<br/>	“To ask why you want me dead” I shout and the tribe goes silent. <br/>	“What do you mean sis?” Sokka asks, looking around at the dead silent tribe. <br/>	“Don’t act like you don’t know, you want to be chief and that’s more than fine with me, as long as I get to live my life in peace.” <br/>	“No one wants me as chief now that they know you're alive” Sokka shouts. I turn to the tribe<br/>	“I love it here but I have a new home, and can’t stay here. I can’t be chief so give it to my brother” I say, and the tribe nods their understanding<br/>	“Come and visit and we will let him take over” A man says<br/>	“As long as I’m not being attacked I will.” Everyone then turns to Sokka and my dad. And they nod their acceptance. <br/>	“You see how easy that was. I’ll see you in a few years, and I wish you well Sokka” I say and Zuko and I turn around to leave. Zuko gets on Luna and waits for me as a woman comes to ask something<br/>	“Where is your new home?” she asks. <br/>	“The fire nation” I whispered to her. She seems shocked but seems to aspect my choice. <br/>	“Come and visit Master Katara,” she says. I sat in front of Zuko and let Luna take us back. <br/>	“Not going under?” He asks<br/>	“I won’t be able to keep bending” I say<br/>	“Where do you call home now?” he asks. I lean back against him as I feel my body telling me to sleep. <br/>	“Not there” I say, fighting to keep my eyes open. <br/>	“When was the last time you had more than one hour of rest?” he asks, taking the reins from me.<br/>	“I don’t know,” I say. I’ve been busy, and am always trying to keep up with everything. <br/>	“Then rest now, we have a good hour or so,” He says, and I close my eyes and fall asleep. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>	I wake up in a bed, but it wasn’t the one I had been sleeping in before, this one at the end of the guest wing. I look out to see it’s about noon so I walk outside and find Zuko leaving his meeting room. <br/>	“Your up” He says<br/>	“How long was I asleep for?” I ask<br/>	“About a day,” he says. “You need to sleep more” <br/>	“I’ll try” I say <br/>	“I have something to show you” He says and leads me to my room. He opens the door and nothing is different but then I look outside. <br/>	“How?” I ask. It was just like the drawing I had made a few days ago’s.<br/>	“Happy birthday,” he says<br/>	“I forgot” I murmur<br/>	“You forgot your own birthday?” He asked almost laughing<br/>	“You forget that I was alone for so long, I never bothered with celebrating, and days seemed to blend together. How did you do this so fast?”<br/>	“I might have stolen your drawing and asked Toph and Aang to come and help with this” he says<br/>	“Thank you” I say, turning around to hug him. <br/>	“You still need to tell me where your new home is” he says<br/>	“Here” I say as I hug him tighter. He pulls away and lifts my face to his and kisses me. I return the kiss with no hesitation. My hands move up to his neck and pull him to me more. Once we break for air I look up at him. <br/>	“Stay?” he asks<br/>	“Yes” I say as I rest my head on his chest. I look out and see that all the horses were there. “How?” I asked<br/>	“Spirit water” he says.<br/>	“Thank you” I say and kiss him again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>	I was outside lying in Zuko's lap as we watched our kids playing in the garden he had made for me. I smile seeing them having so much fun, as I hear my sister in law and the rest of my family in law come over. Me and my brother never get back on speaking terms, but I am on good terms with Toph and Suki. Maybe not as close as it once was but we have all accepted that. But me and Azula have gotten really close, even more so once me and Zuko married. She and her husband have three kids, two girls and one boy, with two of them benders. And Zuko and I have five kids, four benders, three boys and two girls, we had two waterbenders and two firebenders. Ursa was sitting with her husband and watching the kids play.<br/>        It was so weird to think of how we got here. But looking around everything was as it should be, I looked over to the two trees on a hill not too far from the palace, to where Iroh was resting with his son. I think of Suki who was happy on Kyoshi with Mai and Ty Lee, and of Toph who had three kids of their own with Aang, two of which are airbenders and who are living in Ba Sing Se after Aang died. I look back at my husband, who offered me so much when I was too scared and lost to look for it myself. I look back down at all the kids, and the dragons and horses all playing together. I looked down at the kids, and saw that Kya was floating. I sat up in surprise as Zuko looked at what got me to sit up so suddenly and sees it. Azula and her husband also see it.<br/>      “Thank you” I say as I kiss Zuko and lie back down. <br/>      “I’m the one who should be thanking you” He says<br/>      “Looks like Lu Ten will become firelord, unless you want her pulling double duty” Azula teased. <br/>      “Well I guess Toph and her kids will be visiting soon” I say. Once the sun has set and the kids are inside, Zuko and I go out to the beach for a walk. <br/>      “Kya, the next Avatar, you have no idea how shocked the council was” Zuko says as we walk along the water. <br/>      “Why?” I ask<br/>      “They thought that the next Avatar was going to be full blood water tribe” he says<br/>      “Haven’t they learned not to expect things with us now?” I ask<br/>      “Guess they haven't,” He says, as we head back inside. <br/>      “Your gift is on the bed. Happy birthday love,” I say as I go to wash up before I sleep. As I took off my mothers necklace that was now hanging on red silk I heard Zuko open the gift. <br/>      “Thank you” He said, pulling me to bed.</p>
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